Tolkien was touched and excited by a kind letter Mrs. Farrer had sent to him.[note 1] Although he had worked on "these things" since 1914 only C.S. Lewis and his Christopher had wanted to read them and no one wanted to publish them. After she had written, Tolkien collected what was more or less finished (and legible) for her to read. He said that the "compendious history" or Silmarillion was tolerable but only half-revised.

Tolkien listed three long tales that were incomplete or not up to date: The Fall of Gondolin, "The Lay of Beren and Lúthien" (verse), and The Children of Húrin. He was distressed that he could not find the "Rings of Power". It, plus the "Fall of Númenor", linked the Silmarillion with the Hobbit world. He promised to bring round some unique manuscripts for her.